Brothers
by Reda
Summary: /one shot/ 'Luffy became stronger, but Ace had always been strong.' A look at Luffy's reaction to... /spoiler/ chapter 574 /


**Author Notes: **I...had a hard time writing this.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own nor claim anything One Piece.

**Spoilers/Timeline: ***sigh* Best thing to say is be caught up. Major spoilers for Chapter 574, 588, etc...

**Day/Theme: **Sept 9 - "the border between rising and falling"

**Warning: **Reaction-to-death fic

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Brothers

~!~

Ace had always been strong.

_"Don't be a cry baby."_

Luffy had been the weak one. The one who cried and complained. The one who followed. Stubborn and determined. That was who he was. He had been carefree, sharing a dream, intent on playing with Ace and Sabo.

Eventually, they had grown to like him, and he had joined the brothers. They had done things only brothers did. It didn't matter if they were blood-brothers or not; what mattered was their hearts, loving each other for being there, for being friends - more than friends.

Then Sabo died, pulled away because of the politics of the land, the injustice of the world, the unfairness of life. Luffy had cried then. Unable to hold it back. Believing it, yet not believing it. Wanting to wake up from the nightmare. Life could not be so unfair, so wrong.

Why Sabo, he had asked. Why now, he wondered. Why like that?

But Ace had reacted differently. Ace didn't cry. He grew angry; he demanded to retaliate; he demanded retribution.

_"Men shouldn't cry and sob like that!"_

Ace had always been strong.

After Sabo's death, they had made the vow together. Agreed to train. Agreed to be pirates. Separate, different, but the same. The will to live without regrets. The will to protect that which they loved. The will to be stronger.

They agreed not to die. Ace promised not to die. Luffy moved on, continued to train, said goodbye to Ace and then later set out on his own. Luffy gathered his own pirate crew, excited to be living his dream, taking the adventure of a lifetime. Living without regrets.

His crew chided him for it at times. Said he was too carefree. Said he put himself in harms way too easily, too readily. But they were always glad for it. Because it was always for them.

Through them, Luffy became stronger.

He chose the pirate hunter first. Roronoa Zoro. While the rest of the people of the island and the area feared him, had him tied to that post, Luffy defied the rules and conventions. Luffy walked right up to the prisoner and saw in the tied man someone not defeated but determined to make a point, living for a promise. Risking himself for someone else, a stranger even.

So Luffy had saved him and brought him into the crew.

Zoro soon developed his same habits, stepping into harms way for his nakama. For Luffy. And Luffy knew he had chosen well, couldn't wait to show off to Ace.

Then came Nami. When he discovered her navigational abilities, he knew he wanted her. When he saw her fire to fight for what she wanted, even if she was a thief, he respected her. Against Buggy things were crazy, but he decided then that Nami would be their navigator. She argued of course, and even stole the ship later, making them chase after her.

He never did learn her back story. But he felt her fire, her desperation, when he stopped her from stabbing the tattoo on her arm. He didn't understand everything, and she told him to leave multiple times. But he stayed because he was still stubborn. And she showed how much pain she was suffering when she turned to him, crying, and asked for help.

After Arlong, Luffy had a navigator that would follow him to the ends of the earth, that would lead the ship, that learned to love them. He couldn't wait to let her meet Ace.

Usopp had been a fun member. He hadn't really liked Usopp all that much at first, because the long-nose had proven to be a coward and a liar. But he soon learned that Usopp could stand up for his loved ones, too. He learned that even a coward could find the courage to stand up and fight when it mattered.

He loved Usopp for his stories, but mostly for his courage - and his ability to surprise them all, like his perfect aiming that landed him the position of sharp-shooter. He couldn't wait for Ace to hear the stories of Captain Usopp - though the long-nosed liar had never been a captain.

And Sanji, the cook. Not only could Sanji make delectable dishes fit for the crew of the future Pirate King, but the blond-haired man stood up to protect the dreams of those he cared about. Not only did he protect a life, but he protected a dream. Not only did he stand up for his dream, he stood up for others.

Luffy had to have him, and though the cook protested at first, his dream to find All-Blue convinced him in the end. Because to Luffy's crew, it was their dreams that mattered: their dreams and their nakama. They each believed in living without regrets; they each lived - or learned to live - for each other, for their dreams, for the adventure.

A short way into the Grand Line, he chose a reindeer to join the crew. A talking, transforming reindeer. Chopper had some of the coolest abilities and he was nice and fun to play with, too. And he was their doctor, ready to bandage and cure their ailments.

Chopper's story had inspired Luffy, had reminded him how much the pirate flag meant, how much the symbol represented. When he saw the way Chopper defended it, he was reminded of Sabo, reminded of Ace, reminded of old promises. And so he stood up where Chopper couldn't; he sided with the reindeer and was proud to bring him on board his ship.

Besides, Ace would love the little guy.

Then, in Alabasta, he got to meet Ace again. The memories surfaced. The promises. The dreams. The days and nights spent as brothers. He rejoiced when they met. He pointed to his crew, proud to show off, but all he could say, "See aren't they funny?"

Yet Ace understood. With a smile and a wave, he distracted the marines for them. Saving Luffy yet again. Acting the big brother. Being the protective older brother. And Luffy knew that even if he had become stronger...

Ace had always been strong.

After that, they separated. Luffy picked up more crew members on his way through the Grand Line. Robin, the historian who tried to leave them, tried to give up, but Luffy wouldn't let her. He knew there was more fire in her than that; he knew she would fight if they fought with her. He didn't like having to _prove_ how much they loved her, how much nakamaship mattered, but if he had to he did.

Franky who had been too modest, wanting to join and yet unwilling to admit it. So Luffy had been given the man's speedos in an effort to make Franky join. For a while, Luffy went with the joke, then threw them back and said if Franky wanted to join he had to come of his own free will. And, Franky did. After giving them a new ship, the blue haired cola-powered cyborg walked onboard, his own fire and determination to make his dream come true leading him on.

Then there was Brook. The skeleton musician. The member of the crew he had been waiting for. An entertainer. He gifted the crew with music, hiding his own sad story behind jokes. And then Luffy asked him to join the crew, promising to come back around and visit Laboon for him. Which gave Brook his determination back, reignited the fire inside the skeleton, giving even someone who seemed to have given up hope a new chance to set things right.

He had wanted to show his new members to Ace; he had wanted to take Ace back with him; he had gone to Impel Down to save his brother, only to be denied again and again and again... But he had kept up hope; he had believed until the end.

Because Ace had always been strong.

Then came the battle, the war, the chaos. Marines and pirates. Ace in the middle of it. When Luffy stepped onto that platform all he could see was his brother.

They had been safe. Almost there. Fighting together. Laughter. Hope. Life.

Then the fire was put out by magma. Luffy could only stare at the hole in his brother's chest. Disbelieving. Untrue. Not possible. How could it be...

Ace had always been strong.

_"Thanks for loving me."_

So why was he crying now? Why was he dying? Why was he leaving Luffy alone?

He had promised...

So why...?

_Brother..._

_Ace..._

How could he live on without his brother there? How could he keep moving forward, keep climbing up, if there was no brother to meet along the way? What was the point of his dream?

First Sabo.

Then Ace.

Was Luffy next?

Who would cry for him if he died?

_"Luffy, who do you have?"_

_I have..._

He thought back. Fought through the memories. From the earliest ones. Snapping pictures of Sabo. Pulling out moments with Ace. Then the others came. Zoro and Usopp. Sanji and Nami. Chopper. Robin, and Franky. And Brook. His swordsman. His sharpshooter. His cook. His navigator. The doctor. The archaeologist. His shipwright. The long awaited musician.

Who did he have? He had _them_.

_...my nakama!_

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_A/N: Yeah, that was incredibly hard to write._


End file.
